Video Shows Abduction of UOC Priest in Lutsk

LUTSK, UKRAINE — A video circulating online has drawn attention to the alleged forcible mobilization of a Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) priest in Volyn, with church advocates and legal representatives calling for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

According to reports from UOJ-Ukraine and the First Cossack Telegram channel, the footage shows masked men forcing a partially clothed man into a bus outside a Eurospar supermarket on Shevchenko Street in Lutsk. The man is identified by sources as Archpriest John Kuzminsky (Ivan Oleksandrovych Kuzminsky), rector of the Church of St. John the Merciful in the village of Liubche, Lutsk district. A woman believed to be the priest’s wife can be seen attempting to intervene as the men remove him.

The incident has been described by UOC supporters as the first publicly documented video of a UOC priest being forcibly taken for mobilization. Previous controversies involving the mobilization of UOC clergy have prompted calls from church leaders for authorities to respect the special status of priests and refrain from actions that interfere with their ministry.

UOC lawyer Archpriest Nikita Chekman announced that his legal team has taken up Kuzminsky’s case. The attorneys have contacted the priest’s family, prepared procedural documents, and plan to file complaints with law enforcement regarding what they describe as unlawful actions by representatives of the Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center (TCRSC).

Chekman also alleged that witnesses were pressured not to report the incident to police, claiming TCRSC representatives warned eyewitnesses that “things would get worse.” The legal team has requested prayers and support while pursuing legal action and gathering evidence.

Previously, the UOJ reported that a UOC monk was reportedly detained in Kyiv and taken to a training center.